


That Looks on Tempests and is Never Shaken

by babydraco



Series: Hot Blood, Hot Thoughts and Hot Deeds:  Reign AU Fics [2]
Category: Reign (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Awkward Sexual Situations, Crack Relationships, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Female!Bash, Female!Darnley, Female!Francis, Female!James, Infidelity, Love Triangles, Male!Greer, Male!Mary, Period-Typical Sexism, Pregnancy, Religious Conflict, Religious Guilt, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Rule 63, Spying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 13:17:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11014221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babydraco/pseuds/babydraco
Summary: While  Queen Francoise moves closer to giving birth, King Malcolm prepares for retaliation from his English cousin.  His sister,   Lady Moray,  struggles to choose between the man she is falling in love with, and a dangerous spying assignment from the king.





	That Looks on Tempests and is Never Shaken

_This life isn't fair_  
__  
It's gonna get dark  
it's gonna get cold  
You've got to get tough  
but that ain't enough  
It's all about soul  
Billy Joel “All About Soul”

January, 1560

“This points system is very confusing and _French_ ,” Isobel complained. Her brother had already condescendingly attempted to explain it to her once. 

“And that's why all sophisticated people play it,” Malcolm said. 

“I heard our cousin Edmund is a fair player and we must, after all, keep up with the newly crowned king of England.”

“He is not king of England,” Malcolm muttered, “I am.”

“Right, sorry. But, I mean, he believes he is, and he's sitting on the throne of England and you're here.” Isobel missed the tennis ball as it whooshed past and bounced off the wall of the ballroom. The servant attending them tossed it back. 

“For now,” Malcolm said.

“You ought to send him a formal letter, acknowledging his new status. And a gift.”

“I _will not_.” Malcolm viciously whacked the ball toward her. 

“At least send our ambassador. If you don't want to cause offense-” Isobel started to say. Malcolm swiftly interrupted. 

“What's the news on the Knox situation?”

Isobel accidentally-on-purpose hit Malcolm in his shoulder with the ball. 

“Ow!”

“Sorry! It's as weird as you'd expect,” Isobel said. 

“But is it progressing in any useful way?” 

“I think I went too far, too fast,” Isobel said. Knox hadn't contacted her in almost a fortnight, not since she'd... and while he'd clearly been affected, he'd sent her home without asking for anything. “I'm used to a different sort of man. He has the feelings, but he seems afraid to take action, and yet I know he prefers to be the one in charge. We're in a bizarre stalemate where he won't move forward but I can't either. I have to figure out how to make him do it but think it was all his idea.”

“That sounds difficult.”

“No, I've been doing that to men since puberty. For example,” and here Isobel slammed the ball past Malcolm's racquet, “I got you to suggest we play tennis by making you think I didn't understand the game.”

“Wait-”

“Does this mean I won?” Isobel simpered. She smirked, twirled her racquet in her hand, and sauntered off. “Let me know when you want a rematch.”

Greer and Isobel politely ignored each other as they passed in the doorway. Greer took up a spare racquet, positioning himself on the other side of the net. 

“Watch out for your sister, My King. Underneath that bubbly exterior, there's a stone cold opportunistic snake who schemes and plots for power.”

“You speak as if you've gone off her already.”

“I'd still take her to bed if she apologized,” Greer said with a shrug. He served the ball toward Malcolm. “I just don't plan to invest my heart. I certainly won't ask an unfaithful woman to marry me.”

“Unfaithful?” Malcolm asked. “Greer, it's been less than a month. A bit soon to get possessive.”

“It's not-that she's been with another man since. It's the man she's with.”

“Knox.” So Greer had somehow found out about that. Isobel had been right to worry that Greer would no longer want her if he knew. Malcolm's plan had damaged his sister's chance at happiness. He had no idea how to make that up to her, except by finding a way to get the information he needed without compromising her integrity even more. He was their king, they depended on his protection and he would fix this.

“I may be younger than her, but he's too old. And married, and she _doesn't love him and he's terrible._ ”

“Well, you're right about all of that,” Malcolm said. He easily scored a point while Greer was distracted with his ranting. 

“I understand she needs the security he can give her. But if she can sleep with him knowing what he's like, and not feeling anything for him, in order to access his power, what sort of false image did I think I was falling in love with?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I didn't want my draft to get deleted. The next update will be more substantial. I do recommend reading "Country Matters" first.


End file.
